Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-11-12
A r AND THE ASS.
A "Poor Settler" Who Wants a
Piece of "Heritage."

Piece of Heritage"
Major &. G. Beardsley writes Com.
missioner Sparks on the indemnity land
question as follows ~ had hoped to
be among the first to get in my filing
application, but there is a half a mile
OF poor honest settlers, like myself, in
here ahead Of me and I must take my
chances with the rest I suppose. Ifyou
could see the surging, struggling, sweat
ing crowd Of poor, honest settlers trying
to get up to the front TO get first picks of
lands and improvements heretofore
claimed by vile a%ristrocrats and monop.
olists and see these same aristocrats and
m%onopolists sitting around and sadly
looking on like birds whose nests haye
been suddenly demorilized, it would do
your soul good. The chances for get
ting something Cor nothing were never
better for the poor honest settler than
they are at present, and such a vindi-
cation ofthe causes of reform and pure,
honest government. has never before
been witnessed in this country. I had
intended to rebuke fraud and a a
portion of the !.'people's heritage" from
the selfish grasp of the dishonest .specu.
lator by filing on the land of one ]. L..
Grandln, an aristrocrat, who came into
this country when it vas q wilderness,
and who has since that time made i'm
provements and erected buildings to
the value of a couple of hundred thous-
and dollars, Or so. He has a very. COM
Portable house, large barns, graneries,
etc., besides q number of imported
short horn cattle, Norman horses. Shrop-
shire sheep and high bred swine. This
arlstrocrat had also IN his collection of
fine imported animals a blue jackass
with black stripes around his body, and
likewise around his tail. All these
things would be handy fora "poor, hon.
est settler" to have, and 1 did not know
but what 1 might get hold of the stock
as we'll as the farm and bulldings-in
which case I am determined to answer
a pressing demand for filling a long felt
want, by shipping the jackass east. But
the crowd is SO great and 1 am so far in
the rear. I don't know rs 1 can get to
the front quick enough to save this por-
ton Of the "heritage" to myself. This
Is a case in which q person constituted
as 1 am is justified in exertlng himself
as though l may not get this Grandin
farm, 1t is not my intention to get Ell.
tirely left. I have hopes of getting a
track of land with a house, and barn
and one granery with wheat in it.; at
least 1 think the crowd is not so large
but I can do this if hold my place IN
the line. By the way, if 1 should sue
coed in filing on a tract of land with
house, barn and granery with wheat IN
it, and cattle, horse, etc, on the place
IL l as a poor honest settler in my
efforts to ave the "heritaga Of the peo-
ple," take possession and hold every.
thing? l am particularly anxious to
get at the wheat in the grainery as
wheat is spot cash, and spot casfris what
| most need. Hoping you will still con.
tinue the good work Of stamping out
fraud and saving the heritage Of the
people" to the "honest %settler' 1 beg
leave to subscribe myself your ardent
admirer and firm friend.
G. G.. B%EARDsLEY.